Bread and Butter
by WindowChild
Summary: Do not keep reading if you haven't finished Catching Fire. AU. Instead of Peeta getting picked up by the Capitol, it's Katniss. When Gale climbs aboard the hovercraft, he and Peeta must forge a friendship in order to find Katniss and save her life.
1. Chapter 1

Peeta tossed and turned, the waxy sheets irritating his skin. He wanted to escape, to find her, but they wouldn't allow it. After five straight days of fighting it, he'd given up. Well no, he hadn't. That's a lie. He would never give up fighting for her, protecting her. But Haymitch had said they'd do everything they could, and that breaking out of the hovercraft certainly wouldn't save anyone's life. Peeta couldn't help it anyway, he still trusted Haymitch. He knew Katniss would hate him for it, but that's just who he was. Haymitch had gotten them out, hadn't he? With the exception of their error in reaching her before the Capitol – which Haymitch swore was a mistake _nobody _wished had happened – he had done everything he could. They might be free from the Capitol again, thanks to him and to Plutarch. Now all Peeta needed to do was find Katniss.

His neck turned limply, his head swinging around. Beetee and Finnick shared the room with him, Finnick tormented and Beetee unconscious. Peeta was pretty sure that all three of them were going crazy, but there was nothing anyone could do. It seemed that no machines could make Beetee recover, at least not speedily, and Finnick and Peeta were both trapped in their minds.

"We have it the same then, don't we?" Finnick had said, one day. They didn't speak much, but occasionally words were shared. Peeta was still Peeta. He may have been broken and more scared than ever before, but his decency never failed to show it's distinctive colors.

"Annie should be fine," Peeta said, licking his bottom lip to moisten it. "What has she got to do with this?" Even as he spoke, he felt his chest go numb with terror. Katniss had _everything_ to do with this. No one would think twice about killing her. He bit his wet lip, forcing the onslaught of emotions back down his throat and lungs. He couldn't fall apart, not until all hope was lost. He had to stay together, so he could go and fight for her. Still, he watched Finnick, sprawled across the bed in surrender, and he felt jealous. A small part of him wanted to mourn in the safety of the plane, hoping that someone would find Katniss once they made it to District 13. But from past experience, he'd learned he couldn't rely on others for this. Not when it came to her. She was his to protect, and if he wanted her back, he had to find her.

"No, she won't be," Finnick said. Tears slid across his perfect skin, and he rocked back and forth in distress. "They know I'll do it for her, whatever they me to. They'll keep her around." He shook his head bitterly. "Haymitch said they'll use her as bait, and they will. And Plutarch already messed things up by…" He continued to shake his head, apparently forgetting that Peeta was beside him. "Mags volunteered to save her," he said, sounding just as shattered as he looked, "And if that all useless because…" He sounded almost like Wiress, all sentences ending on thoughts he couldn't quite articulate. This was something Peeta understood, even if he didn't share it. As Katniss always prided him, he was something of an expert with expression.

"She'll be fine," Peeta said, his voice gentle and empathetic despite his own troubles. "They won't let anything happen to her."

"Why?" Finnick said, bitterly brushing away his golden hair. "They let Katniss get taken, and she was the whole center of this plan." Peeta's already-pale skin blanched, and Finnick shook his head in apology. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "They will try and find _her_, you can be sure of that. The whole time, everything I heard about this was all her. The rebellion can't stand without her, so they need her." He glanced up, trying to see if Peeta had relaxed at all. He hadn't. "Besides, Johanna will try and help if she can."

"Johanna's with her?" Peeta asked, surprised.

"Yeah…" Finnick replied, scowling. "How much did they tell you?"

"Nothing," Peeta replied. "Just what the future plan was, about District 13 and breaking us out of the arena." He crossed his arms, indulging in a fraction of self-righteous anger. Katniss would have been told more, he knew. She was the valuable one – which was fine by him, since he knew it to be true – but he wished that he were more trusted with information.

"Oh. Well, well do you want to know the rest?"

Peeta sighed, appreciating how hard Finnick was trying. He understood that they were in the same position, perhaps. "Sure. What's the rest?"

"Katniss and Johanna got picked up by the Capitol, along with Enobaria. No one – no one knows what's going to happen to them," he said, rubbing his red eyes.

Peeta could only glare at the sheets, pretending the starchy fabric was a thing of villainy. It was never good when people didn't know thing.

"But they need to get her back," Finnick pressed, "Before they try to finish the revolution. She's everyone's motivation, Peeta."

"Yeah," Peeta said, all too honestly. She was his, as well. He took two deep breaths, trying to clear his chest of the fierce ache that had settled there. It did nothing, and he figured the pain was more than physical. "What about the districts?"

At this, Finnick smiled, a little. Even in their tangled web of sorrow and hopelessness, a dim light broke on through. "They're revolting. Just like we've always wanted them too." The ending's oomph was lost, as they both thought it over. They had always wanted it, but it would not be the same without the women they loved. Peeta tried to imagine it, for a terrible moment. Living in the districts, but safely. Living a pleasant life, with a fair government. It was such a pretty picture that the smear of Katniss's absence obliterated it beyond repair. He couldn't stand it, the idea of a happy world without her in it.

Finnick seemed to notice, and gave him a rough pat on the back. "I'll go check on Beetee. You get sleep."

"Wait," Peeta called, before he could stop himself. The older man turned, as patient as he was pretty. "If Katniss was the important, then why didn't you kill me?"

Finnick gave another smile, this one sad. "You underestimate yourself. Do you really think she would have stayed with us, without you?" He left then, missing Peeta's stunned reaction by a second.

The blonde boy frowned, using all of his strength not to fold in on himself. Instead he lay down, easing his head onto the lumpy pillow. Even sleep wouldn't bring solace without her, but at least it was a brief escape.

When he awoke there was a figure standing above his bed. The figure was just as dark as he was light, his expression just as contorted with fear. Peeta gave a quick glance, checking that his roommates were asleep, and then gaped in shock.

"Gale?!"

"What happened to her," the other boy murmured, fists clenched. "You protected her, didn't you?"

This nearly did Peeta in, with its insistence and its desperation. He knew all of those feelings too. He felt his mouth corners curl, whispering the story of what had happened. He found he had to watch as the young man's face was transformed, the rage and dread shifting to sorrow and to hopelessness. The anger stayed though, hitting Peeta in the face as Gale glared.

"This is your fault," he said, because that was the first thing to come to mind.

Peeta nodded, staring everywhere but at him. "I know."

But since Katniss did have impeccably good judgment in character, and Gale was no exception, this softened the older of the two. Despite the fact that they were competitors of a sort, they were in roughly the same place. He sat beside Peeta on the bed, unable to accuse him any further. It didn't seem fair, after all Peeta _had_ done to keep her safe.

"Well, brace yourself," Gale said, steeling his chest just as Peeta had done upon hearing the news. "Because I have a lot to tell you."

"Me too," Peeta consented. They stared one another down, mutual respect encircling them. They had no reason to fight, for the moment. What they wanted was the same. Katniss.

A/N: I would love any thoughts you have to offer me! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: The information on Peeta's family is all from the first book. Does anyone else find it odd that we've never heard mention of his two brothers again? Or his mother who hit him, for that matter?

Gale slouched his shoulders, too drained to keep them upright. He felt exhausted all of a sudden, his plethora of injuries straining him. "The Capitol burned out District 12."

"What?" Peeta whispered, shocked. "What do you mean?"

"What they did to the Hob," Gale said flatly, "But to the whole place." He shook his head, spittle flying from his lips. "Everything was destroyed."

"Where – where people hurt?" Peeta's distance from his own family was reflected in this moment, as he thought not of his own relations, but of how distraught Katniss would be if anything happened to her sister. He had hardly spoken to his brothers in years, and his mother was too sour to love. His father was alright, but far too focused on the bakery to be any sort of reliable parent.

"Sure," Gale said bitterly. "Not my family though, or Katniss's. I don't know about yours." For a moment, he looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry."

"That's alright," Peeta said, at once. "Where are they now?"

"District 13," Gale answered. "I got picked up by this, so that I wouldn't cause too much trouble." He gave a hollow grin and laugh, shaking his head. "They thought I might be a problem."

"You and Katniss," Peeta remarked. "How did you hurt your arm?"

"The arm was from earlier," Gale said. "A fight with one of the Peacemakers. The burn was from trying to get out."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Peeta said. Gale stared at him for a moment, trying to see if he was serious, and then gave another humorous laugh.

"Don't be. You've just survived the Hunger Games." A beat. "Again. Anyway, what happened in the end? We couldn't quite tell from the television."

"We got out of the arena," Peeta explained. "Somehow. It was Beetee's plan." He gestured over to his machine-clad friend, grimacing at the man's many wounds. "It was Katniss who did it though, in the end."

"And then what happened?" Gale asked, eyes narrowed.

"They – they got to her," Peeta said. "Before we could. I was unconscious, and the plane picked me up. I would have run to her otherwise, I promise you."

"I know you would have," Gale replied, practically brushing him off. He sounded angry, and Peeta supposed that perhaps it was because Gale knew he was telling the truth.

"Who else is on this thing?" Gale asked, after a minute. He kicked a stray bed. "I know I saw Haymitch."

"Yeah. He – it was all his plan. With Plutarch Heavensbee."

"The game maker?" Gale asked, surprised. Clearly there were still some things he didn't know.

"Yeah, him. There were others in on it too. So, they're here. And Beetee and Finnick."

"That's it?"

"Well, they're the only ones I've seen. There could be others."

They fell into silence, still unaccustomed to conversation with one another. After the obvious sharing of information, communication became more difficult. What was there to talk about?

"Where is this going, anyway?" Gale asked, still sounding angry. Katniss had mentioned that about him, Peeta remembered. That he was very frustrated, very bottled up. It was so unlike himself that Peeta almost felt taken aback. His mother was like that. Always angry, always yelling about something. On principle, he disliked those types.

"District 13," Peeta supplied. He felt deflated, as if all of the air had left his body. District 13 had been Katniss's imaginary haven. And now it was real, and she wasn't here to share it. His chest began to ache again, and he stared down at the floor.

"So they took me away from my family, just so I could end up in District 13 anyway?" Gale asked. His eyebrow was quirked, his expression dangerous. This anger, Peeta could understand. He found it ridiculous too. "Are they even trying to find her?" Gale shouted.

"Haymitch said they are," Peeta replied. "He said they can't have the rebellion without her." He wanted to add, _"and they can't," _but Gale uttered those exact words before he had a chance to.

"What are we doing here, then?" Gale asked. He seemed to have calmed down, although his breathing remained more of a pant.

"What?" Peeta asked.

"You and I," Gale said, "We should be out there looking for her. It's what people would expect, after all," he said, nearly snarling, "After all, you are the father of her child." Peeta winced. In a quieter voice, Gale asked, "That's not actually true, is it?"

"No, it's not true," Peeta replied. Gale nodded, looking reassured. "And what do you mean, looking for her? They won't let us out, will they?"

"That wouldn't have stopped Katniss," Gale said fiercely, "If I – or you," he added, sounding as if he resented that part, "Were missing, she would do everything she could do find us."

That was true, and Peeta knew it. However, the prospect of ruining Haymitch's bold plan so that he could fruitlessly search the Capitol with Gale Hawthorne did not sound so promising. "Why don't we bring it up to Haymitch?" he asked, tentatively. "And ask what's going to be done about it. We can ask if he'd let us go."

Gale snorted. "Katniss would never trust him. Not after what he did, with breaking you out of the arena. He didn't even tell you, did he?"

"No," Peeta said quietly.

"She wouldn't have asked!" Gale said, dangerously close to shouting again.

"You underestimate her," Peeta said. There was something precarious in his blue eyes, an unknown glint that seemed to come from nowhere.

"No I don't," Gale said, so certainly that Peeta would have almost believed him. "I know her. You don't."

They stared one another down, all traces of civilized friendship gone. Katniss had managed to come between them, even in her absence. As expected, Peeta's diplomacy eventually interrupted.

"We won't find her this way. Arguing. We can't get to the Capitol if we can't agree on simple things."

Gale remained tense for another moment or so, before relaxing. Peeta could see what Katniss had meant, though, about his being bottled up. The dislike, the anger, it was still evident on Gale's face. "Fine," he muttered, his longing for Katniss getting the better of him. "We won't argue. But you should know, this is only for her." His glance was accusatory. Peeta only nodded. It was mutual, but his general principles kept him steady. He wouldn't truly dislike Gale, unless he was given true reason to.

"Let's see Haymitch then," Gale said shortly.

"Alright."

They walked together, Gale patiently going slowly to accommodate Peeta's leg. However, once they found Haymitch at the table in the center room, both began to vehemently state their case.

Haymitch only sat there for a moment, and then finally held up a hand to stop them. "Oh good. I see you've found each other," he said dryly. "Now if you would speak one at a time, I might be able to hear what you're saying."

"How are we going to find Katniss?" Peeta blurted. Gale nodded, his hands clenching into fists.

The older man sighed, looking a little bit distressed. "We're not going to be able to find her, Peeta."

"But – but you said," he spluttered, "You said we can't have the rebellion without her."

"And we can't, really. But we're going to have to try." He sighed, taking a deep drink of his wine. "You really think the Capitol would have kept her alive? I'm sorry to tell you this, but there's no way that President Snow would have let her live after this." He looked truly apologetic. "She's probably dead."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I really appreciate all of the feedback I've gotten so far.

There was beat, as Haymitch's ominous declaration sunk into their skin, and then the silence smashed against the floor.

Gale exploded. He began to shout and curse, fists balled and face contorted. He told Haymitch that he was a liar, and that Katniss would never go down without a fight. He yelled word after impassioned word, only coming to a stop when his voice grew raw with strain. Sinking back against the wall, he panted and shut his eyes.

Peeta's reaction was nearly silent, almost controlled. He met Haymitch's eyes without a sound, his blue ones challenging his mentor's dark ones to take it back. Every inch of his stocky frame tensed, all of his token gentleness leaving him. He didn't believe it, not even for a second.

"They wouldn't have killed her," Peeta said quietly, trying not to dwell on the fact that it was Katniss he was talking about. "If they had, they would have made it public."

Haymitch nodded. He kept Peeta's gaze a moment longer, and the boy could see the pain in the older man's eyes. The anguish he felt was minimal compared to what Peeta – and Gale, for that matter – felt, but he still had never wanted to lose Katniss. She may have been the country's symbol of rebellion, but she had been their own personal one as well.

"Well, we better keep watching then," Haymitch said, sighing. He turned on the television, revealing nothing more than static. It was a first for Panem, perhaps. But between the abrupt ending of the Games and the uncovering of District 13, there was very little for them to show.

Gale sank to the ground, head in his hands. Peeta was torn between wanting to make him feel better, wanting to feel better himself, and wanting to know more about their future. Eventually, he sank into a chair. The truth was, he did not feel as if hope was lost. He truly didn't believe that Katniss was gone. At least, she wasn't yet. And maybe they would be able to save her if they got to the Capitol in time.

He looked at Gale, who was obviously suffering immensely. Was that because he believed Katniss was gone? He'd denied it with such vehemence, but his broken frame said everything to the contrary. He didn't want to believe it, but a part of him was sick with thinking it might be true. Peeta shook his head, so unsure what to say.

"Where are we going now?" he asked Haymitch at last, flexing his fingers for something to do.

"District 13," Haymitch replied. "We're trying to get as many people over there as we can. You're family's there," he pointed at Gale, who didn't even look up. "All of twelve's there, and some of the others will be soon."

Peeta nodded, feeling bland and uncaring. He wanted the Capitol to be taken down, but it didn't feel worth it right now. "Where's – who else is helping us?"

"Everyone," Haymitch replied, "Well, minus one and two. But we've even got some people from the Capitol. Portia, for one."

Peeta's lungs solidified in ice, remembering what Katniss had mentioned about Cinna. "What about Cinna?"

There was a moment of silence, and something close to shame appeared in Haymitch's eyes. "We think he's an Avox now, although there's really no way to be sure. We are trying to get the Avoxes out too, though."

"He took a big risk with that costume," Peeta said softly. "You owe it to him to get him back." Haymitch's face was so vacant of expression that Peeta suspected he agreed.

"We're going to land soon," he said, after a minute. "You two should get ready." There was nothing _to _get ready, but Peeta only nodded as he and Gale were left alone in the room.

"Gale," Peeta said, feeling odd about speaking his name aloud. "We're – we have to get off the plane soon." The darker boy did not move though, and Peeta indulged him a few more minutes at silence. He needed them himself, anyway. To think. But after coming to no particular conclusion, her tried again.

"Gale?..." It felt so strange to be talking to him. They'd exchanged approximately a sentence before this plane ride, and those were all with Katniss in the next room or so. It was so unfamiliar, to feel as if they were both in the same place with their emotions.

Gale looked up at last, his olive skin marred with tear tracks. He looked decidedly mutinous, his eyes still welled and furious. He flashed a loathing glare to the blonde boy beside him. "You just sit there, acting like this isn't happening." His broad frame looked so small, hunched over like he was trying to hide from the world.

"I'm not pretending," Peeta replied. But then he realized that Gale had said 'acting', and perhaps he was pretending after all. It was strange really, because he was the emotional, extroverted one. Gale, however angry he was, was usually sturdy and so much harder to read. Bending his lips in yet another form of distraction, Peeta realized that he hardly knew Gale at all. Even Katniss's few stories failed to paint a realistic picture for him now.

"I don't think she's gone, Gale," Peeta said, tremulously determined to get his message across. He had missed her terribly when she was only "lost", but now it felt as if her spirit had enveloped the room. "I think Haymitch doesn't know, and he doesn't want to get our hopes up."

Gale frowned, his strong jaw protruding. A simple 'yeah?' didn't seem as if it would suffice.

"This is Katniss," Peeta said, extraneous joy gripping his bones even as he felt the heartache. "They couldn't just kill her. Not in a back room with knife or something. She's too important for that. And you know her, she'd never go down without a fight."

This seemed to spark something in the hunter, causing him to dry his eyes and lean forward. "No, she wouldn't. Not in a million years."

"And Johanna's with her," Peeta continued. "She'll be a help."

Gale's eyebrows wrinkled in doubt. "Johanna? Didn't she hate Katniss?"

Peeta shook his head. "Well, maybe she did," he said, after further thought, "But Finnick said that she's on our side anyway."

Gale's face stayed inscrutable for another moment, before changing into something almost quizzical. "Peeta," he began, saying the name slowly as if he were testing it out, "We're about to land, aren't we? If you do think she's alive, we _should _go and find her. Like we talked about before."

"You and I?" Peeta asked. It was a little incomprehensible to him, but it also made a funny sort of sense. They cared about her the most, with the possible exception of her sister. Of course they would go after her.

"Yeah," Gale said, after a minute. It sounded definitive, as if he'd made up his own mind.

Peeta considered as hard as he could, as he felt the plane wheels go down. They were about to land. "We'd have to do it quickly," he said, warningly. "They're not stupid, Haymitch will be expecting something like this."

"I know," Gale replied.

"And it will dangerous," Peeta continued. "Chances are… chances are that neither of us will make it." In a way, he felt baffled. Gale was so ready to make false amends; he must have had some inkling of hope left. Or maybe, Peeta thought sadly, he's looking for a way to go down fighting. Fighting for Katniss. He looked into the Seam boy's eyes, recognizing the desperation. He'd felt it before, but he didn't feel it now. He sensed Katniss just at the tips of his fingertips, waiting to be pulled back.

In unison, they nodded. Peeta cleared his throat, speaking softly. "Get ready."

A/N: That's it for now! Please review if you liked it _and_ if you didn't!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I am SO sorry that this update took forever. Don't worry though, I'll hopefully be able to get back on schedule from here, and update more regularly. I really hope you'll accept my apology and read this chapter despite the wait.

The plane's momentum shifted and slipped, Peeta wincing as it skidded against the ground. "What's the plan?" he asked, glancing up to meet Gale's eyes.

Gale took a deep breath. "I don't know. We have to escape their watch somehow."

"Right." Suddenly tentative with one another, they faced an awkward shuffle for the door. Peeta's chivalrous ways prevailed, and Gale exited with a mocking grunt.

"Listen," Gale hissed, pointing to his left. Haymitch and an unfamiliar man stood talking, their voices wafting in angry whispers.

"Someone will notice if we just _leave_," Peeta said. "Wait one second," he added. Carefully, clearing his face of emotion, he approached the pair. "Sorry to interrupt," he began, throwing a calm frown in Haymitch's direction. "Are we supposed to leave?" he asked.

Gale watched tensely, still baffled by how well Peeta could act. It seemed inhuman, to him, to simply mold one's feelings for the purpose of manipulation. If Peeta cared as much as he said he did, it should have been harder for him to hide his worry for Katniss. …Or so Gale told himself. Gale's own mind felt muddy, cut at the hinges. He felt dizzy and sick and miserable, but did not wish to process a breath of it. Rather than surrendering to sorrow, he would fight. Like she would. Like he hoped she'd want him too.

"Yeah," Haymitch replied. "There should be people waiting for you right outside; go with them." He stared at Peeta for another moment, scrutinizing his bland expression. After opening his mouth and closing it again, debating what to say, he gave a curt nod.

Peeta turned, tilting his head toward Gale. They left together, Gale's senses carefully taut. He knew he'd have to be the alert one of the two, if they ever intended to succeed at running away. As clearly demonstrated in the Games, Peeta lacked the proper instincts for this. In a way, it helped to reconstruct Gale's pride. He appreciated being the competent one.

The outdoors hit them all at once, though fortunately the citizens of District 13 waited to convene. The boys barely had time to take in the smoky, steel atmosphere before Gale began shepherding them along, pressing them against the aircraft's skin.

"If we walk quickly, maybe they won't see," Gale whispered. Aware that it must be difficult with Peeta's artificial leg, he gave the baker some prodding in assistance.

"Now?" Peeta asked, appalled. "That's insanity. They'll find us in a minute."

"Do you see anyone anywhere?" Gale asked, his dark eyes quietly tormented. "They won't notice if we go quickly. And besides, if we wait any longer, they'll find a way to shut us up some place."

A part of Peeta knew not to listen. He understood that Gale – for all of his precision – possessed a reckless streak; besides that fact, he couldn't possibly be thinking clearly. However, Peeta no longer owned the energy to fight it. If they were going to leave, they were going to leave. He could barely keep Katniss's face from bubbling over every thought, distracting his best sentiment of judgment. Above all rationality, he wanted to see her as soon as possible. Without a word, he followed after Gale.

"Did they see us coming out the door?" Peeta asked, the words barely louder than a stray exhale.

"Can't tell," Gale replied, keeping his lips tightly pinned together. "What is this place, anyway?"

Peeta sighed, glancing cautiously over his shoulder. "District 13, I guess." He stared up at the cold, metal buildings. Even if it stood as a safe haven from the Capitol, he wasn't sure he liked it here. Gale snorted, and Peeta guessed he might be thinking along similar lines.

"And this platform?"

"Just for the plane to land?" Peeta tried, though he no way of being sure.

"Do you think there are stairs on the other side?" It was a logical question to ask. So far they'd stayed pressed against the plane, strolling down the grey boards, but it had to end at some point.

"Haymitch is getting off now," Gale murmured, giving Peeta another push. "Walk faster; he'll ask where we are."

Peeta sighed, frustrated with himself and with Gale. If they actually hoped for success in their mission, perhaps they had not thought this out so well. "They'll probably catch us, and anyway, do we even have food?"

Gale straightened. "I can survive on very little; we should be fine," he said shortly.

Eyeing him with his peripheral vision, Peeta replied in a bruised voice. "So can I."

Tightening his jaw, Gale could not resist the opportunity. "Oh right, you were a contestant in the Games." Sardonic and oozing with malice, the sentence made Peeta wince.

"How can you mock them?" Peeta asked, his voice strained. For the first time, he felt lonely. "After all you watched her suffer through?" Rather lacking a talent for sarcasm, Peeta's effect was all in his soft superiority. Gale bridled, eyes flashing.

"You don't understand," he replied, obviously speaking through clenched teeth. They glared at one another, sizing each other up.

"If we're going to do this," Peeta began, always the diplomat. "We have to set a few things straight."

"Alright," Gale replied tersely, "But keep walking. I can here Haymitch's shouts from here." In unison, they glanced behind them, both seeking the irate mentor. He was no more than a bulging spot in the distance though, as were the other people on the platform. Gale and Peeta had done a good job hiding so far, ducking under windows and camouflaging with the plane. Only the best pair of eyes could see them from so far away.

"I think they're going back inside to check," Peeta observed, keeping pace as Gale had requested. "They're all going back into the plane."

"Good," Gale replied, keeping a measured note of indifference in his voice.

All at once, he gasped, sticking out a hand to stop Peeta behind him. "We've reached the end of the platform," he said quietly. Sure enough, they stood directly on the edge, centimeters away from falling. They backed away, both staring at the empty space between their bodies and the paved ground.

"There are no stairs?" Peeta asked, thinking only of the metal rungs they'd have to climb.

"Only the ones down there," Gale muttered, jerking his head. "We can't really go back there now. It'll take too long." There was nothing pointed about it - he was not cruel enough to insult Peeta's disability - but Peeta still flushed.

"And we're sure this is even the right direction?" Peeta asked.

"No, but we haven't got much of a choice. We can find our way once we're exploring."

"But if we run into people," Peeta pressed, a thousand possibilities suddenly slitting through his anxiety, "They'll know who we are. They'll stop us."

"Then we better not run into people," Gale replied. They stood there for another moment, wind stinging their skin. Gale sighed. "Well, I've got a broken arm and you've got a fake leg. I suppose you'll have to ride on my back."

"What?" Peeta asked, alarmed.

"You ride on my back, climb us down with your hands, and I'll keep my legs around the pole. It's easier than climbing," he added.

Suddenly, Peeta felt very stupid. Thinking back, he wondered if Katniss had detested his lack of useful skills. Here was Gale, full of strategic plans and impulsive insistence, ready to do what they had to do. Had Katniss wished for those qualities, when requiring an ally during the Games? Had she wished for someone like Gale?

"Okay," Peeta replied at once, since they had no choice. Gale bent down, and Peeta climbed onto his back. Gale gave a soft groan at the weight, and Peeta grew anxious. "Am I too heavy? Can you stand up?"

"I can manage," Gale replied, though it sounded as if he was struggling for air. Still, he somehow rose to his feet, locking his good arm around Peeta's back. "You have to keep you're legs around me," he instructed tightly. "Both of them, if you can. Alright?"

"Yeah," Peeta agreed, obliging. It was difficult, structuring the synthetic leg so it would cling to Gale's waist, but he managed it after a few minutes.

"Now can you raise your arms and not fall off?" Gale asked. There was a beat as Peeta tried it, and then he received a nod of assent.

"Then let's climb." He strode over to the pole, gently lowering the two of them down it with his good arm. When Peeta didn't fall off, he said, "Okay, climb us down with your hands, alright? I can use my one hand to help, as well." Now that they faced crisis, they worked well together. They made a nice time, in a way, each making up for what the other lacked.

Eventually, in breathless sweat, they made it to the ground. They collapsed in a heap, lacking the energy to move even an inch.

"Are you alright?" Peeta asked. The metal had made thin cuts to his hands, and he rubbed them against his shirt.

"Fine," Gale replied, though he was panting. "You?"

"Fine," Peeta said airily, staring into the distance. Clearly, one person was on both their minds. "Should we start then?"

"No time to waste," Gale replied. They stood up side by side, staring at one another with a new expression. It hadn't been much, the climbing down the platform, but it had been something. It had been enough, at least, to gain each a little respect from the other.

A/N: That's all for now! Again, I am incredibly sorry for the wait between updates : (. I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again. Please review!


End file.
